Holding on to the Strong
by PerryTheAlien
Summary: Hold is an underground stronghold designed to prevent the dangers of the outside world, where a young librarian named Grain must go in order to save his village.


Vitago was doomed. The town of Vitago was being burned to the ground by angry villagers. The king stood and watched as the city's stone walls crumbled. It was all as he suspected it would be. The very thought of the villagers converging on his iron tower, was enough to make him faint, made only worse by the visual that his 37th story offered. His court wizard stood by, the one who couldn't speak, but listened to every wish his employer commanded. He put a hand into the pocket of his purple-ish dyed leather clothes. Slowly, the speechless spell caster took out the hand with a leather bound dusty book, that he waved in front of his face, and handed to his employer. The king read it and handed it back to the caster. Caster dropped the book back into his never ending pockets and looked the king in the eye. "Yes, I believe it is that time. I wish it did not come to this." The king's eyes dropped a tear. "What went wrong? What did I do wrong? I neglected them in some way, and now everyone down there, even my own wife with my baby child has come to kill me."

Caster produced another book, with which he waved in front of his face and again handed to the king. "Yes I know what it will do to me. But, if this crown is really cursed, then I must prevent them from getting it. Are you ready?" Another book, another answer. "Yes, I suppose I would be the one to be ready. But you have been faithful by me, and I wish you the best." Caster took a block out of his endless pockets, and pulled out a block, about the size of 64 bricks, with 9 brightly colored buttons in the middle of each side and placed in the middle of the room, where he touched it and backed away. He took out red dust and lined it in a straight line leading to a wooden lever. He was making ready to pull it. For the final time, the king wondered what made this wizard so strong, and how everything he did worked. It finally clicked in his mind. The lack of speech, the endless items, the instant writing. "Of course, you're a-" The lever was pulled.

Grain woke in cold sweat from a nightmare, in a cold stone room. He never doubted where he was in his mind. He was home, and he realized he would always be. Grain walked outside and greeted the outside corridor. He had a job as a librarian on the far side of Hold though never minded walking to his job. He would always see Asa in her bakery. As Grain stepped from his chamber, he found many friendly faces, all shuffling by the Forever Fountain to their work place. Hold was a large place, with many turning corridors and rooms. Any newcomer would feel lost walking through the many destinations and passages, not that there were to be any newcomer, as there was no entrance to Hold, and therefore no exit. Grain grew up in the light of the torches, though he was told that he was born in the outside world. He learned to not ask of his heritage, or why Hold was created how it was. His mother always curled up her face and wouldn't speak. After her death, the only person to remember the outside was Ivin, and he lived alone in a small chamber made for him. It was rumored that he went insane, and started to try to claw his way out. No one went to check on him, except his almost as solitary son, to bring him food. Grain did not see why the outside was so admired. He decided not to trouble himself with it, as he reasoned he would never find out. He was at one of his destination, but halfway to the other. He slowed to a shuffle and looked sideways at the Strong Bakery. Asa was there, with a simple plaid shirt, and shimmering auburn hair flowing over her shoulders. Her light-hearted face was glowing from the coal and bellows she was working to fix up a cake. She looked briefly at Grain with her dark green eyes, and flashed a perfect white smile. Grain felt himself go numb as she went back to her cake, and shuffled past to Never Nexus, to the left down some stairs, to the right, down a long corridor, and entered the Lost Library for the final time.


End file.
